It was a sunny day, it was a fun day.
No wind, no rain, no dark of night.
There are no better precursor to a Good Day At The Range.
The company was convivial, and I thoroughly enjoyed my match even though I didn't shoot well at all.
We had some very challenging stages, which taught us (as they should) to strive for accuracy rather than for speed.
One example was Stage 2:"The Door Into Summer" ... which is reminiscent of a Robert Heinlein story.
Another example was Stage 6: "Croc Run", which supposedly intruded us to the kindof stage we could expect to see at the 2009 Croc Match.
All in all, Coach Paul and Evil Bill (who designed and built the Evil Oregon Star) gave us an exciting and challenging introduction to the 2009 Croc Match ... only without such a high Round Count.
I love this game. I'm not very good at it, but I can't imagaine a better way to show my appreciation for a sunny day,.
Showing posts with label Evil Oregon Star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evil Oregon Star. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday, September 03, 2007
Croc Match, 2007
The (Croc) Dundee, Oregon IPSC club worked hard to present another Banzai Ballistic "You Got Bullets?" Match at the Chahalem Valley Shooters Club as they have for the past near-decade.
I admit, I don't have the statistics to tell you how many years this world-class High Round Count IPSC-type competition has been presented by CVSC, but I'm sure that Paul M., "Evil" Bill M. or Marty L. will let me know as soon as this article hits the Internet.
And they should be proud of their brain-child, because this 460-plus round (8 stages!) has been around long enough to achieve an international reputation as, if nothing else, an "Iron Man" test of equipment reliability, ability to make reloads quickly, accuracy, speed and pure competitor endurance.
(Note that the match is probably the "Brain Child" of either Jonathan Umfleet or Tom Chambers, both of whom are past presidents of the club and both of whom should receive full credit for their contribution which took this small club from a local "plinking and pre-hunting-season sight-in-your-rifle" club to one which regularly presents some of the most challenging and difficult matches in America. Yes, I expect updates to follow from the current Club President and /or Evil Stage Designer.)
The hallmark of this match is "You Got Bullets?" Each stage requires at least 50 hits to complete, some of them over 60 rounds.
In case you get the impression that it is a 'hoser match', please allow me to disillusion you.
Although there are plenty of 4-target arrays which encourage you to stand and deliver 8 rounds as quickly as you can, it's not all a matter of unloading magazines ten times quicker than you can load them. There are plenty of 10" plates at distances calculated to test your accuracy. Plate racks, the "Evil Oregon Star," and Pepper Poppers engaged through the 12" hole in a steel 'donut' reward a moment's inattention with, at best, a miss. At worse, the donut rings resoundingly, signaling to all observers that your Pepper Popper engagement was far off the mark.
It's always a surprise to realize that Revolver shooters put their six-round limitations to the test at this match. Coincidentally, six revolvers were used in this 2007 version of the famous Croc Match.
Here are the Top 30 of 106 competitors:
(Sorry, this probably doesn't align correctly in your browser. For a complete listing of the results, go here.)
Jungle Run
One of the most popular features of this match is the infamous "Jungle Run". The Oregon Rain Forest Climate has blessed Dundee with a fast-running creek bed, bounded by minor ridges, forming a perfect shooting bay. The entire range is sited on the side of a high hill (in the SE portions of America, it would be considered a mountain), and the heavy annual rainfall plus the creek runoff combine to populate this restricted area with ferns, bushes and trees. This provides the perfect combination of awkward terrain and dense foliage in which to hide targets. A plethora of branching trails serves to confuse the shooter, because there are typically very few clues to help the competitor decide which branch of the trail to take as they run through the woods shooting at cardboard targets as they become available. While you're shooting at one target, it's easy to glide past another target hidden in the foliage on the other side of the trail.
This year, the branching trails were deliberately not marked. More than one shooter expressed a wish that they were, because as they headed down the wrong trail they were treated to a loudly expressed admonition by Range Officer Loren O. to "Get Back On The Trail!"
Did I mention that this is a "Surprise Stage?"
If the shooter errs, the best he can expect is a verbal correction from the RO. There are no reshoots because the competitor didn't understand the stage instructions, or because the RO hollered at him ... causing the competitor to stop in confusion because the thought there was a more serious problem than that he went down the wrong trail.
One competitor was vociferous about his complaint that the 'right' trail was not obviously marked. He was right, it wasn't fair.
Another competitor was careful, in an interview, to make the point that the Jungle Run was the most fun stage in the match, but because it was a 'surprise stage' the results should not be counted as part of the match.
They were both right, but both competitors (although they are both Locals and have both shot this match for as long as they have been competing locally) missed the point.
The Croc Match is determinedly and deliberately "Not Fair".
Not Fair!
It's not FAIR that the Jungle Run is a Surprise Stage, not chance for a reshoot, you aren' t given enough information to know where all the targets are before you shoot the stage, or that reshoots just ... aren't ... part of the game.
It's not FAIR that if you make a random mistake on the Jungle Run, you can't buy a reshoot.
It's not FAIR that six-round-limited Revolver Shooters must engage a large number of 8-round arrays with a rich selection of 'optional' targets, that other shooters can engage because they have more ammunition loaded.
It's not FAIR that there is no forgiveness in the entire match, and than if you make a mistake you will pay heavy penalties.
Here are some other considerations:
This match use to be scheduled in May, when the weather was much cooler ... but usually rainy.
To encourage attendance, it was deliberately rescheduled for Labor Day Weekend, when the sun was (usually) still out ... but it is HOT! The temperature in this period is typically in the mid-to-high Nineties, so this match is in more than one way an "Endurance contest".
Why does this match find itself scheduled over the Labor Day weekend? Because more people can find free time to shoot a 2-day match, leaving another day for travel.
Sun and Heat are a factor:
I shot this match several years ago, the first Labor Day Weekend it was scheduled. I finished the match in the Rifle Bay (3 bays, actually) where there is no shade except, late in the day, on the targets. Great, you get to engage targets in the shade after you have spend most of your pre-shooting time in the sun. Getting hot. The first few targets you often can't see clearly, because while you're in the sun you're looking at targets in the shade. Decidedly Not Fair.
At that match, it was the last stage my squad had to shoot.
The "Rifle Bay" is situated at the lowest part of the range. There's a steep hill to climb to get back to where the rest of the range (and the Stats Shack, and the cars, and the shade) are located.
I and another competitor were so drained of energy that we simply did not consider it feasible possible to climb the hill. We found a place where shade was available by virtue of being under an erected tarp, and we found chairs there. We sat and drank warm water until the match staff arrived to take down the tarp. They were not listening to our protests that we needed the stage, so we sat in the hot sun until we decided that we HAD to move back up to the main range if only to get out of the sun.
Somehow, we found the energy to drag ourselves out of the low basin and back to the shade. We decided that we were getting too old for this stuff.
Still, I showed up to watch the 2007 match, even though I wasn't prepared to shoot the match. It's No FAIR that you can't brass. No match rules against it, but it's simply too hot to brass and besides, there's usually another squad waiting to shoot the stage. More important, after the first two stages you (I) usually don't have the energy to pick up your brass. This becomes a major factor in deciding to shoot the match, when .38 Super brass costs over $170 a thousand and you're dumping about 500 rounds of brass on the range.
No FAIR.
No Fair:
Here's the bottom line. If you are looking for Fairness, don't shoot the Croc Match.
If you can't afford to drop 500 rounds of brass on the range, don't shoot the Croc match.
If you think it's outrageous that you will be called upon to shoot a Surprise Stage, with no recourse when Things Go Wrong, don't shoot the Croc Match.
But if you're up for the toughest challenge in IPSC competition, if you don't care what it costs, if you just want to measure yourself against the American Standard of "Iron Man" competition ... you can't afford to miss the 2008 Crocodile Dundee Banzai Ballistic "You Got Bullets?" match.
Coming next year, reserve your Labor Day Weekend for this most unfair match in America.
PS: USPSA can't sponsor or encourage this match, because it does not adhere strictly to USPSA standards. (Sometimes, the match requires more than 9 rounds from a single shooting position. Not this year, but in previous years.) However, CVSC scrupulously pays Match Fees to USPSA, so it's possible that USPSA will allow articles about this match to be published in the Front Sight magazine. You haven't seen it yet, but one these days I'm going to write an article about this match for the Front Sight.
Feedback?
PPS: Watch This Site for pictures and videos of the match. In the meantime, EVERY picture and video is currently available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
I'll be editing videos for the next week, and some smaller (read: viewable here without waiting for ten minutes to see what you have downloaded) videos may become available in the meantime.
If you have videos from this match, please contact me at the email address cited at the bottom of this page. I will host videos, or link to videos, as they become available.
YouTube Video version of this stage:
(Available here as a download on Jerry the Geek's Video Gallery)
I admit, I don't have the statistics to tell you how many years this world-class High Round Count IPSC-type competition has been presented by CVSC, but I'm sure that Paul M., "Evil" Bill M. or Marty L. will let me know as soon as this article hits the Internet.
And they should be proud of their brain-child, because this 460-plus round (8 stages!) has been around long enough to achieve an international reputation as, if nothing else, an "Iron Man" test of equipment reliability, ability to make reloads quickly, accuracy, speed and pure competitor endurance.
(Note that the match is probably the "Brain Child" of either Jonathan Umfleet or Tom Chambers, both of whom are past presidents of the club and both of whom should receive full credit for their contribution which took this small club from a local "plinking and pre-hunting-season sight-in-your-rifle" club to one which regularly presents some of the most challenging and difficult matches in America. Yes, I expect updates to follow from the current Club President and /or Evil Stage Designer.)
The hallmark of this match is "You Got Bullets?" Each stage requires at least 50 hits to complete, some of them over 60 rounds.
In case you get the impression that it is a 'hoser match', please allow me to disillusion you.
Although there are plenty of 4-target arrays which encourage you to stand and deliver 8 rounds as quickly as you can, it's not all a matter of unloading magazines ten times quicker than you can load them. There are plenty of 10" plates at distances calculated to test your accuracy. Plate racks, the "Evil Oregon Star," and Pepper Poppers engaged through the 12" hole in a steel 'donut' reward a moment's inattention with, at best, a miss. At worse, the donut rings resoundingly, signaling to all observers that your Pepper Popper engagement was far off the mark.
It's always a surprise to realize that Revolver shooters put their six-round limitations to the test at this match. Coincidentally, six revolvers were used in this 2007 version of the famous Croc Match.
Here are the Top 30 of 106 competitors:
Place Name Cls Div. Cat Points Match%
1 Shepherd, Rob GM Open 2014.0487 100.00%
2 Tyler, Keith GM Open 1879.5676 93.32%
3 McGee, Bobby GM Open 1788.8717 88.82%
4 Lee, Yong GM L-10 1788.5253 88.80%
5 Bright, Norman M Open 1767.4391 87.76%
6
7 Schmidt, Carl M Open Sr 1713.3135 85.07%
8 Hodsdon, Kevin A Open 1693.5543 84.09%
9 Fague, Scott B Open 1678.3901 83.33%
10 LeRoux, Scott A Open Sr 1675.5745 83.19%
11 McDonald, Casey B Open 1640.2551 81.44%
12 Tomasie, Squire M Open SS 1601.0319 79.49%
13 Bright, Zac B Open Jr 1564.0208 77.66%
14 Suh, Al B Open 1563.3510 77.62%
15 Loo, Bob A Open SS 1557.9321 77.35%
16 Paek, Peter A L-10 1454.0014 72.19%
17 Ott, Trevor M L-10 1445.6568 71.78%
18 Kies, Alan M L-10 Sr 1423.6767 70.69%
19 Marrs, Bill B Open Sr 1422.9178 70.65%
20 Fuller, Dennis A Open 1403.2551 69.67%
21 Blosser, David A L-10 1392.6748 69.15%
22 Newquist, Doug M Prod 1388.9763 68.96%
23 Stachour, Mike A L-10 1382.7855 68.66%
24 Shepherd, Caryn B Open Ldy 1365.2078 67.78%
25 Lee, Jimmy A Open 1344.6474 66.76%
26 Hockens, Ernie B Open 1308.5619 64.97%
27
28 Falkner, Eric C Open 1282.9813 63.70%
29 Hoang, Vinh B L-10 1267.5958 62.94%
30 Dickinson, Jim B L-10 SS 1267.4100 62.93%
(Sorry, this probably doesn't align correctly in your browser. For a complete listing of the results, go here.)
Jungle Run
One of the most popular features of this match is the infamous "Jungle Run". The Oregon Rain Forest Climate has blessed Dundee with a fast-running creek bed, bounded by minor ridges, forming a perfect shooting bay. The entire range is sited on the side of a high hill (in the SE portions of America, it would be considered a mountain), and the heavy annual rainfall plus the creek runoff combine to populate this restricted area with ferns, bushes and trees. This provides the perfect combination of awkward terrain and dense foliage in which to hide targets. A plethora of branching trails serves to confuse the shooter, because there are typically very few clues to help the competitor decide which branch of the trail to take as they run through the woods shooting at cardboard targets as they become available. While you're shooting at one target, it's easy to glide past another target hidden in the foliage on the other side of the trail.
This year, the branching trails were deliberately not marked. More than one shooter expressed a wish that they were, because as they headed down the wrong trail they were treated to a loudly expressed admonition by Range Officer Loren O. to "Get Back On The Trail!"
Did I mention that this is a "Surprise Stage?"
If the shooter errs, the best he can expect is a verbal correction from the RO. There are no reshoots because the competitor didn't understand the stage instructions, or because the RO hollered at him ... causing the competitor to stop in confusion because the thought there was a more serious problem than that he went down the wrong trail.
One competitor was vociferous about his complaint that the 'right' trail was not obviously marked. He was right, it wasn't fair.
Another competitor was careful, in an interview, to make the point that the Jungle Run was the most fun stage in the match, but because it was a 'surprise stage' the results should not be counted as part of the match.
They were both right, but both competitors (although they are both Locals and have both shot this match for as long as they have been competing locally) missed the point.
The Croc Match is determinedly and deliberately "Not Fair".
Not Fair!
It's not FAIR that the Jungle Run is a Surprise Stage, not chance for a reshoot, you aren' t given enough information to know where all the targets are before you shoot the stage, or that reshoots just ... aren't ... part of the game.
It's not FAIR that if you make a random mistake on the Jungle Run, you can't buy a reshoot.
It's not FAIR that six-round-limited Revolver Shooters must engage a large number of 8-round arrays with a rich selection of 'optional' targets, that other shooters can engage because they have more ammunition loaded.
It's not FAIR that there is no forgiveness in the entire match, and than if you make a mistake you will pay heavy penalties.
Here are some other considerations:
This match use to be scheduled in May, when the weather was much cooler ... but usually rainy.
To encourage attendance, it was deliberately rescheduled for Labor Day Weekend, when the sun was (usually) still out ... but it is HOT! The temperature in this period is typically in the mid-to-high Nineties, so this match is in more than one way an "Endurance contest".
Why does this match find itself scheduled over the Labor Day weekend? Because more people can find free time to shoot a 2-day match, leaving another day for travel.
Sun and Heat are a factor:
I shot this match several years ago, the first Labor Day Weekend it was scheduled. I finished the match in the Rifle Bay (3 bays, actually) where there is no shade except, late in the day, on the targets. Great, you get to engage targets in the shade after you have spend most of your pre-shooting time in the sun. Getting hot. The first few targets you often can't see clearly, because while you're in the sun you're looking at targets in the shade. Decidedly Not Fair.
At that match, it was the last stage my squad had to shoot.
The "Rifle Bay" is situated at the lowest part of the range. There's a steep hill to climb to get back to where the rest of the range (and the Stats Shack, and the cars, and the shade) are located.
I and another competitor were so drained of energy that we simply did not consider it feasible possible to climb the hill. We found a place where shade was available by virtue of being under an erected tarp, and we found chairs there. We sat and drank warm water until the match staff arrived to take down the tarp. They were not listening to our protests that we needed the stage, so we sat in the hot sun until we decided that we HAD to move back up to the main range if only to get out of the sun.
Somehow, we found the energy to drag ourselves out of the low basin and back to the shade. We decided that we were getting too old for this stuff.
Still, I showed up to watch the 2007 match, even though I wasn't prepared to shoot the match. It's No FAIR that you can't brass. No match rules against it, but it's simply too hot to brass and besides, there's usually another squad waiting to shoot the stage. More important, after the first two stages you (I) usually don't have the energy to pick up your brass. This becomes a major factor in deciding to shoot the match, when .38 Super brass costs over $170 a thousand and you're dumping about 500 rounds of brass on the range.
No FAIR.
No Fair:
Here's the bottom line. If you are looking for Fairness, don't shoot the Croc Match.
If you can't afford to drop 500 rounds of brass on the range, don't shoot the Croc match.
If you think it's outrageous that you will be called upon to shoot a Surprise Stage, with no recourse when Things Go Wrong, don't shoot the Croc Match.
But if you're up for the toughest challenge in IPSC competition, if you don't care what it costs, if you just want to measure yourself against the American Standard of "Iron Man" competition ... you can't afford to miss the 2008 Crocodile Dundee Banzai Ballistic "You Got Bullets?" match.
Coming next year, reserve your Labor Day Weekend for this most unfair match in America.
PS: USPSA can't sponsor or encourage this match, because it does not adhere strictly to USPSA standards. (Sometimes, the match requires more than 9 rounds from a single shooting position. Not this year, but in previous years.) However, CVSC scrupulously pays Match Fees to USPSA, so it's possible that USPSA will allow articles about this match to be published in the Front Sight magazine. You haven't seen it yet, but one these days I'm going to write an article about this match for the Front Sight.
Feedback?
PPS: Watch This Site for pictures and videos of the match. In the meantime, EVERY picture and video is currently available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
I'll be editing videos for the next week, and some smaller (read: viewable here without waiting for ten minutes to see what you have downloaded) videos may become available in the meantime.
If you have videos from this match, please contact me at the email address cited at the bottom of this page. I will host videos, or link to videos, as they become available.
YouTube Video version of this stage:
(Available here as a download on Jerry the Geek's Video Gallery)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Columbia Cascade Section Tournament
The CCS Section Match is scheduled for July 21-22, 2007.
Today is Wednesday, July 18, 2007. SWMBO is out of town this weekend, my gun ain't been running right (poor maintenance -- my bad), I'm low on ammunition/time/cash, and I HATE lost-brass matches which this promises to be.
I haven't shot an IPSC match in a month, even though I've been to two shooting matches where I did nothing but wander around and take pictures of people who WERE shooting.
Two days before the match, I decide it's worth it to drive the 60-miles each way, two days straight (total gas price: about $40), pay the $90 match fee, write off $50 worth of brass and catch the match.
I owe it to myself. Besides, it's either spend the weekend shooting or spend two days wearing my Regulation Blogger Pajamas and smoking too much while I bore all of you by writing too much.
A few minutes ago I sent an email with an application to CCS Treasurer John "Big Dawg" Weil, begging him to accept my promise of a check ($90, with the late fee) when I show up at the stats shack at the Tri County Gun Club on Saturday Morning ... I wonder if I can drive there from Corvallis before 8am without SWMBO to urge me to get out of the house on time? She's going to be out of town this weekend, and I'm at a total loss without her. On the bright side, if she's not going to be around, I can stop by her house and steal all the good stuff out of her shooting bag (lots of extra magazines) on my way out of town. Now, if she hasn't locked it all into her Gun Safe I might have enough mags to handle all the 32 round stages and the THREE low-round-count stages on Bay Four.
Actually, looking at the squad lists there are three short squads I might get hooked up with. I can shoot with Big Dawg, or I can shoot with Bruce Gary and a bunch of Local Heroes, or I can shoot with Higbie (who's always good for a laugh, as long as he doesn't get excited and have another freaking heart attack. You know the joke: "Shoot the stage, drag Higbie ...") He looked pretty good when he was RO-ing the R&R Racing Multigun Challenge match at ARPC last weekend, though, so maybe he's good for another match as a competitor.
Heck, maybe Bill Salberg will show up. He's a Spokane boy, and I haven't shot with him since we were together at the TCGC Club Match in June, where he did the "Rodeo Queen Wave" when he fell down on Stage 6. He looked funny, one hand in the gravel and the other hand waving his pistol in the air trying to get up. I could squad with him and maybe get some good video as he tries to swim through an ocean of little tiny rocks, if I'm not so distracted by the performance that I forget to point the camera at him ... as happened LAST time.
It'll be nice to actually SHOOT on a weekend. It has been raining in Oregon for the past couple of days, and the weatherman at weather.com forecasts showers and 70 degrees. Perfect Oregon shooting weather. Not too hot, the rain will keep the dust down and maybe it will discomfort somebody else more than it will me. Hmmmm ... I need to remember to wear my boots and bring a light rain jacket.
Oh wait. Everybody there will be from the Pacific NorthWest, they'll all be accustomed to shooting in the rain. No wonder the match has over 70 people signed up, which isn't bad for a Section match.
Never mind. At least I know how to spell everyone's name, I can actually SHOOT for a change, and maybe I'll even get some interesting pictures to spend next week editing and posting here, and on the video gallery.
And there's a stage with two Texas Star targets ... maybe even an Evil Oregon Star, who knows? Something to look forward to.
Watch this space.
Excuse me, I have to go load ammunition for the weekend.
{sigh} I've missed that.
Today is Wednesday, July 18, 2007. SWMBO is out of town this weekend, my gun ain't been running right (poor maintenance -- my bad), I'm low on ammunition/time/cash, and I HATE lost-brass matches which this promises to be.
I haven't shot an IPSC match in a month, even though I've been to two shooting matches where I did nothing but wander around and take pictures of people who WERE shooting.
Two days before the match, I decide it's worth it to drive the 60-miles each way, two days straight (total gas price: about $40), pay the $90 match fee, write off $50 worth of brass and catch the match.
I owe it to myself. Besides, it's either spend the weekend shooting or spend two days wearing my Regulation Blogger Pajamas and smoking too much while I bore all of you by writing too much.
A few minutes ago I sent an email with an application to CCS Treasurer John "Big Dawg" Weil, begging him to accept my promise of a check ($90, with the late fee) when I show up at the stats shack at the Tri County Gun Club on Saturday Morning ... I wonder if I can drive there from Corvallis before 8am without SWMBO to urge me to get out of the house on time? She's going to be out of town this weekend, and I'm at a total loss without her. On the bright side, if she's not going to be around, I can stop by her house and steal all the good stuff out of her shooting bag (lots of extra magazines) on my way out of town. Now, if she hasn't locked it all into her Gun Safe I might have enough mags to handle all the 32 round stages and the THREE low-round-count stages on Bay Four.
Actually, looking at the squad lists there are three short squads I might get hooked up with. I can shoot with Big Dawg, or I can shoot with Bruce Gary and a bunch of Local Heroes, or I can shoot with Higbie (who's always good for a laugh, as long as he doesn't get excited and have another freaking heart attack. You know the joke: "Shoot the stage, drag Higbie ...") He looked pretty good when he was RO-ing the R&R Racing Multigun Challenge match at ARPC last weekend, though, so maybe he's good for another match as a competitor.
Heck, maybe Bill Salberg will show up. He's a Spokane boy, and I haven't shot with him since we were together at the TCGC Club Match in June, where he did the "Rodeo Queen Wave" when he fell down on Stage 6. He looked funny, one hand in the gravel and the other hand waving his pistol in the air trying to get up. I could squad with him and maybe get some good video as he tries to swim through an ocean of little tiny rocks, if I'm not so distracted by the performance that I forget to point the camera at him ... as happened LAST time.
It'll be nice to actually SHOOT on a weekend. It has been raining in Oregon for the past couple of days, and the weatherman at weather.com forecasts showers and 70 degrees. Perfect Oregon shooting weather. Not too hot, the rain will keep the dust down and maybe it will discomfort somebody else more than it will me. Hmmmm ... I need to remember to wear my boots and bring a light rain jacket.
Oh wait. Everybody there will be from the Pacific NorthWest, they'll all be accustomed to shooting in the rain. No wonder the match has over 70 people signed up, which isn't bad for a Section match.
Never mind. At least I know how to spell everyone's name, I can actually SHOOT for a change, and maybe I'll even get some interesting pictures to spend next week editing and posting here, and on the video gallery.
And there's a stage with two Texas Star targets ... maybe even an Evil Oregon Star, who knows? Something to look forward to.
Watch this space.
Excuse me, I have to go load ammunition for the weekend.
{sigh} I've missed that.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Evil Star 1.1
Memorial Day Weekend was a busy time here in Geekistan.
Saturday, we shot a Club Match at Dundee, where we were treated to Evil Bill's New and Improved Evil Star (Version 1.1 -- more on this later).
Sunday, we went to a BBQ at the home of Randomly Hittin' Witten and his charming wife, Donna. Many of The usual Suspects were there, including AJ and KJ who have been so busy riding their new Harley that they just haven't had time to get to the range for matches. AJ, however, did show up for the Saturday match and I regret that I was unable to include his Evil Star run in the attached video. Perhaps I can feature him in his own video later on, which would be worthwhile if only because he did a fine job on the stage regardless of his lack of recent practice.
Monday SWMBO and I went to my mother's house in Springfield and worked in her garden. Her sprinkler system is on the fritz, but my brother-in-law John fixed that before we got there. We spent a couple of hours doing basic gardening (weeding, and trimming & spraying her Rose Garden) until we ran out of steam.
On to the Evil Star.
Last month, Evil Bill introduced his Evil Star at the Dundee Club Match. There were a few problems with the design, mostly because:
We did experience one problem. The springs which hold the plates in place on the support arms are flimsy, weak material. Over time, they tend to wear out. We were the last squad to shoot this stage, and we found that the weakest springs tended to fall off the support arms. We were able to find and re-install the springs, but this reveals a design flaw in the original Texas Star.
Personally, I recommend Bobby Wright's "Five Point Surprise" as a viable alternative to this target design. The springs are much more robust, and many of the parts can replaced by a trip to you friendly local Ace Hardware Man.
Still the Evil Star proved to be a challenging and interesting target. Here's how it looked when real people were shooting real bullets:
(This video is also available directly from YouTube, here.)
Saturday, we shot a Club Match at Dundee, where we were treated to Evil Bill's New and Improved Evil Star (Version 1.1 -- more on this later).
Sunday, we went to a BBQ at the home of Randomly Hittin' Witten and his charming wife, Donna. Many of The usual Suspects were there, including AJ and KJ who have been so busy riding their new Harley that they just haven't had time to get to the range for matches. AJ, however, did show up for the Saturday match and I regret that I was unable to include his Evil Star run in the attached video. Perhaps I can feature him in his own video later on, which would be worthwhile if only because he did a fine job on the stage regardless of his lack of recent practice.
Monday SWMBO and I went to my mother's house in Springfield and worked in her garden. Her sprinkler system is on the fritz, but my brother-in-law John fixed that before we got there. We spent a couple of hours doing basic gardening (weeding, and trimming & spraying her Rose Garden) until we ran out of steam.
On to the Evil Star.
Last month, Evil Bill introduced his Evil Star at the Dundee Club Match. There were a few problems with the design, mostly because:
- The plates, when hit solidly, would sometimes fall back far enough to strike the backing IPSC targets. This didn't often slow the rotation of the array, but it did some physical damage to the cardboard targets.
- There was a lot of 'splatter' on the backing targets due to fragmentation of bullets which hit the plate-supporting arms. These supports were 1/2" (or smaller) rods, and any rounds which hit them tended to tear up the cardboard.
We did experience one problem. The springs which hold the plates in place on the support arms are flimsy, weak material. Over time, they tend to wear out. We were the last squad to shoot this stage, and we found that the weakest springs tended to fall off the support arms. We were able to find and re-install the springs, but this reveals a design flaw in the original Texas Star.
Personally, I recommend Bobby Wright's "Five Point Surprise" as a viable alternative to this target design. The springs are much more robust, and many of the parts can replaced by a trip to you friendly local Ace Hardware Man.
Still the Evil Star proved to be a challenging and interesting target. Here's how it looked when real people were shooting real bullets:
(This video is also available directly from YouTube, here.)
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Target Control
We're all aware of the ongoing "Gun Control" movement. That is, an organized effort (at levels from municipal to the United Nations) to deprive private citizens from owning, possessing and [gasp!] carrying firearms.
But how many of us are aware of "Target Control"?
Well, those of us who are members, however removed, of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) are aware that some targets are just NOT acceptable to some individuals, some NGOs ("Non-Governmental Organizations"), and some governments.
As an example, there are governments in this sad world which WILL allow its citizens to shoot at paper targets ... reluctantly, and with many restrictions ... but will NOT allow its citizens to shoot at 'humanoid targets'. That is, any target which however vaguely represents the human profile.
And as a consequence, IPSC several years ago designed and published the design for a "Classic" target (left), which looks much like a stop sign, for use in countries where it is illegal to shoot at a "Metric" target (right), which looks much like a Human.
In point of fact, in IPSC it's not only a matter of human-shaped targets, it's also a matter of 'perceptions based on scale. There are two metal targets in common use at IPSC matches which have a vertically rectilinear shape with a circular extrusion in the top third of the target.
These are called "Pepper Poppers". They come in two sizes: large, and small. The small target (called the "US POPPER") was advocated to represent a (larger) Pepper Popper as it would be seen at a greater distance.
It's not "politically correct" to present the two sizes together on the same stage.
Why?
Because someone commented that it "looks like a momma and her children", and as soon as that comment became widely known, IPSC Management (either International, Regional or Local) began to make rules forbidding their consanguinity.
Or should that be "Propinquity". I often get these big words mixed up.
Apparently, IPSC Management doesn't know the difference, either.
__________________________
Now that we have established the tendency of IPSC Management to concern itself with Political Correctness, let us discuss the legitimacy of the Texas Star.
I've recently been featuring a new variant on that target, which I have dubbed "The Evil Oregon Star". It's a shameless steal from "Some Other Folks", you can see the trail of controversy in recent posts and the link to the original design is found here, with due credit to the original post found at the Brian Enos Forum.
This design was noted by local mad-man Evil Bill, who immediately set out to build his own version. It was featured in an article here called Evil Bill's Oregon Star, featuring a YouTube video of ten seconds duration.
I checked my blogstats the day after that article was posted. In the first 24 hours, I had over 600 hits on that article as the entry point. Over 520 of those entries came from a forum called Canadian Gun Nutz (registration required) under the title " The most Evil IPSC traget array to date" (sic).
In a word, IPSC people are "interested" in a new, challenging target.
Early comments mentioned favorably the challenge of shooting what is essentially a Texas Star, with a 'windmill' array tacked on the back with four paper targets ... rotating in the opposite direction.
Within 9 hours, someone posted a reference to "carnival" stages, which I assume is a slightly derogatory reference to stages which are not purely 'practical' in nature. (Give that I've been competing in IPSC matches since 1983, and in the intervening years I have watched the sport veer wildly from the original 'practical' stages such as the venerable "El President" stage, I can only assume that this term refers to any stage which looks more like a carnival shooting gallery than a representation of the scenario which a person might reasonably engage when, for example, meeting the President of a South American Country and his two bodyguards and having to engage each with two rounds and then inexplicably having to reload even though I may have started with a race-gun loaded with a 25-round magazine.)
I know, that parenthetical comment was a run-on sentence. I don't care. The artificial restrictions on run-on sentences are discouraged because they are difficult to read, and the goal of good writing is to be easy to read.
But it does illustrate the difference between good writing and good shooting. Good shooting is not suppose to be easy. Whether a stage is colorful, challenging or looks like a small-scale Ferris wheel doesn't necessarily detract from the value of the stage.
Here's the deal:
As the dialogue continued (over 50 posts so far), the tone of the conversation changed from a tentative awe at the complexity of the shooting problem to the question of whether this target array or, in fact, the TEXAS STAR was legally permissible according to IPSC.
I posted to the forum, and mentioned my surprise that someone may question the acceptability of the Texas Star as a legal target. The first response:
The next day, the only response I had received was:
Another member replied:
You've got to question whether this is just local/section level decisions based on 'expectations', or whether someone is talking to IPSC Management. I know that's the big question in MY mind.
So I'm signing on to the IPSC Forum to see if I can find some reference to Texas Star.
I find "The Official IPSC Forum" is called "Global Village" with the URL of http://ipsc.invisionzone.com/
The progenitor of this forum?
Vince Pinto.
Here is the sequence of "authoritative" comments from The Official IPSC Forum. The topic:
Texas Star, Can I Use It In Level III Competition: (Registration Required)
Source: Velilzar, 4 Apr 2006
Response from An Authoritative Source (IPSC Canada):
Here's another thread from the Official IPSC Forum, only coincidentally started on 10 APR. 2006:
What makes a "Legal" target array?
Wait a minute, Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC World Forum Moderator) quoted Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC Secretary) as his justification for closing the thread.
Can he do that?
Well, I guess so.
Vince Pinto apparently not only owns the OFFICIAL IPSC World Forum, but also owns IPSC. It's his Forum, it's his International Practical Shooting Confederation, and it's his Big Dick. He can do anything he wants.
Three words immediately occur:
Even Vinny can't find a rule which will support his position, but still he seems comfortable with Rule by Fiat.
Dare we mention that he can't even agree with himself?
Vinny, my dear friend ... it isn't easy being you, is it?
__________________________________
Note: I offer my most abject apologies for not having noticed this situation earlier. I'm not doing my job. Fact is, I have avoided The Official IPSC World Forum for YEARS, because it is the love child of ... Vince Pinto.
But how many of us are aware of "Target Control"?
Well, those of us who are members, however removed, of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) are aware that some targets are just NOT acceptable to some individuals, some NGOs ("Non-Governmental Organizations"), and some governments.
As an example, there are governments in this sad world which WILL allow its citizens to shoot at paper targets ... reluctantly, and with many restrictions ... but will NOT allow its citizens to shoot at 'humanoid targets'. That is, any target which however vaguely represents the human profile.
And as a consequence, IPSC several years ago designed and published the design for a "Classic" target (left), which looks much like a stop sign, for use in countries where it is illegal to shoot at a "Metric" target (right), which looks much like a Human.
In point of fact, in IPSC it's not only a matter of human-shaped targets, it's also a matter of 'perceptions based on scale. There are two metal targets in common use at IPSC matches which have a vertically rectilinear shape with a circular extrusion in the top third of the target.
These are called "Pepper Poppers". They come in two sizes: large, and small. The small target (called the "US POPPER") was advocated to represent a (larger) Pepper Popper as it would be seen at a greater distance.
It's not "politically correct" to present the two sizes together on the same stage.
Why?
Because someone commented that it "looks like a momma and her children", and as soon as that comment became widely known, IPSC Management (either International, Regional or Local) began to make rules forbidding their consanguinity.
Or should that be "Propinquity". I often get these big words mixed up.
Apparently, IPSC Management doesn't know the difference, either.
__________________________
Now that we have established the tendency of IPSC Management to concern itself with Political Correctness, let us discuss the legitimacy of the Texas Star.
I've recently been featuring a new variant on that target, which I have dubbed "The Evil Oregon Star". It's a shameless steal from "Some Other Folks", you can see the trail of controversy in recent posts and the link to the original design is found here, with due credit to the original post found at the Brian Enos Forum.
This design was noted by local mad-man Evil Bill, who immediately set out to build his own version. It was featured in an article here called Evil Bill's Oregon Star, featuring a YouTube video of ten seconds duration.
I checked my blogstats the day after that article was posted. In the first 24 hours, I had over 600 hits on that article as the entry point. Over 520 of those entries came from a forum called Canadian Gun Nutz (registration required) under the title " The most Evil IPSC traget array to date" (sic).
In a word, IPSC people are "interested" in a new, challenging target.
Please don't assume that ANY of the following comments are intended as a reflection on the members of this forum. I've been a member of this forum since January, 2005, and while I haven't been a regular 'contributing' participant I have enjoyed 'lurking' until the discussion focused on this article which I posted in my own blog.
Early comments mentioned favorably the challenge of shooting what is essentially a Texas Star, with a 'windmill' array tacked on the back with four paper targets ... rotating in the opposite direction.
Within 9 hours, someone posted a reference to "carnival" stages, which I assume is a slightly derogatory reference to stages which are not purely 'practical' in nature. (Give that I've been competing in IPSC matches since 1983, and in the intervening years I have watched the sport veer wildly from the original 'practical' stages such as the venerable "El President" stage, I can only assume that this term refers to any stage which looks more like a carnival shooting gallery than a representation of the scenario which a person might reasonably engage when, for example, meeting the President of a South American Country and his two bodyguards and having to engage each with two rounds and then inexplicably having to reload even though I may have started with a race-gun loaded with a 25-round magazine.)
I know, that parenthetical comment was a run-on sentence. I don't care. The artificial restrictions on run-on sentences are discouraged because they are difficult to read, and the goal of good writing is to be easy to read.
But it does illustrate the difference between good writing and good shooting. Good shooting is not suppose to be easy. Whether a stage is colorful, challenging or looks like a small-scale Ferris wheel doesn't necessarily detract from the value of the stage.
Here's the deal:
As the dialogue continued (over 50 posts so far), the tone of the conversation changed from a tentative awe at the complexity of the shooting problem to the question of whether this target array or, in fact, the TEXAS STAR was legally permissible according to IPSC.
I posted to the forum, and mentioned my surprise that someone may question the acceptability of the Texas Star as a legal target. The first response:
"No suggestion. Fact. Try and submit a match with it to IPSC (NOT USPSA) for approval. You'll find out pretty quick.My reply was a request for someone -- anyone -- to cite the rules by which IPSC had made this determination.
USPSA picks and chooses which IPSC rules they want to use; so in the US, you're probably GTG."
The next day, the only response I had received was:
I suggested that the source was not as definitive as a citation to the rule book, and subsequent responses indicated that they were not acceptable in Level III matches. Eventually someone stated:
There was a big discussion about this on the IPSC World forum. Vince Pinto had said that any L3 with a Texas Star would not be sanctioned.
I just received the word from our section coordinator. No t-star in any match above level 1 ( He just received the official notification)So the t-star must be pulled from the match.
Another member replied:
I'll double check my email when I get to work in the morning...but I'm pretty sure Level 1's would be out as well (any IPSC sanctioned match)At this point (five days after the original post), nobody has been able to cite a rule which would ban the Texas Star (let alone the Evil Oregon Star) from IPSC competition.
You've got to question whether this is just local/section level decisions based on 'expectations', or whether someone is talking to IPSC Management. I know that's the big question in MY mind.
So I'm signing on to the IPSC Forum to see if I can find some reference to Texas Star.
I find "The Official IPSC Forum" is called "Global Village" with the URL of http://ipsc.invisionzone.com/
The progenitor of this forum?
Vince Pinto.
Here is the sequence of "authoritative" comments from The Official IPSC Forum. The topic:
Texas Star, Can I Use It In Level III Competition: (Registration Required)
When looking through some stage designes (sic)I have often come accross (sic) a target called Texas star. As I have never seen it in our region I would like to know something more about it.For example what is it like,how does it react when hit,is it still or moving,how can I construct such one ?
Source: Velilzar, 4 Apr 2006
- Nobody Important, from Bulgaria
Response from An Authoritative Source (IPSC Canada):
I understand that Texas Stars can be great fun to shoot.Source: Neil Beverly - 4 Apr, 2006
However, they are unlikely to be approved for IPSC matches because they are more of a gimmick than a true IPSC "practical" target.
Certainly as the IPSC Shotgun Course Reviewer I wouldn't approve a stage that included a Texas Star.
If you want want a Texas Star for fun shoots at your club I'm sure you will get some useful feedback from other members.
- IPSC Shotgun Rules Chairman
- Resident of "UK"
- IPSC President's Council
- IROA Executive Committee
- USPSA member
- ... and other citations
I urge you, especially being a new Region, not to bother spending time and money making a Texas Star. Some people might think it's fun to shoot but, as Neil Beverley has already cautioned, you won't get IPSC Level III or higher sanctioning for any match which includes a Texas Star, because it's considered to be a "carnival" prop.Vince Pinto, 6 APR 2006, responding to an IPSC member from Bulgaria
- IPSC Secretary
I can assure you swingers and gravity turners are found at Level III + Matches .. WSXIV had an assortment of movers, single swingers, double swingers, gravity turners ..Kevin, 7 Apr., 2006
I shot a Level III Match in Feb, which had a total of 24 Swingers in 12 stages ..
In the context of an IPSC Stage, what does the Texas Star simulate ?
- Nobody special, just Member #63 from Singapore
Hey Kevin,Source: Vince Pinto, 7 Apr. 2006
Did you notice how the Texas Star is being defended by ....... Texans?
Of course they're also responsible for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, so I guess they're not all crazy! Must only be the ones from Austin & Houston?
- IPSC Secretary, from Hong Kong
Here's another thread from the Official IPSC Forum, only coincidentally started on 10 APR. 2006:
What makes a "Legal" target array?
The question put before this bunch of stalwart and true gentleman and gentlewomen is this:Source: Alex, 20 APR 2006
What makes a legal target array?
In another thread the question was raised, but not answered beyond the famous American politician quote about pornography ("...I will know it when I see it").
Some think that a target array has to be "practical" (vice "carnival") to be legal. However, there is no definition of "practical" (or "carnival") target arrays to be found in the rule book. Either the one half the world's shooters use, or the amended one that the other half of the world's shooters use (sic)
- Nobody (apparently) important. Sorry ... Important! (From Ankara, Turkey)
.....the moderators edit fast around here.Source: Mike, 10 APR 2006gif" border="0">
I thought Alex had a good question before his post was cut to 1/10 of what he wrote.
My reply to this thread is below as this issue has been bubbling for a while and I am no nearer understanding it.
I am sure I will be the unfortunate victim of some more swift moderatinggif" border="0">
---------------------------------------------
I think I am just as confused as some others here to be honest about what EXACTLY is an IPSC suitable way of thinking, as compared to one that would not be in the 'SPIRIT' of IPSC. This is not written down or taught anywhere. We hear from our well informed and experianced (sic) Moderators as to their views, but without this being documented its very hard trying to gauge the mentality or the methodology behind this ethos.
On one hand IPSC is trying to distance itself away from non PC self defence scenarios but on the other hand phrases are used where we are trying to still use this basis: hence I am confused.
- Nobody "Important" (from UK)
The thread was closed because the IPSC Secretary stated the official IPSC policy in respect of the Texas Star, namely that proposing use of such a target will cause Level III or higher sanctioning to be denied, and a further statement was made explaining the procedure necessary for that policy to be reversed.Source: Vince Pinto, 11 APR 2006
If you (or anybody else, for that matter) think the subject target is so fascinating, you're free to use it to your heart's content, but IPSC is also free to deny any application for Level III sanctioning. By the same token, if you want to host a match requiring that blackpowder (sic) guns be used exclusively, you're also free to do so, but that match will also be denied IPSC sanctioning.
Bottom line: Your "rights" do not trump IPSC's "rights".
- IPSC Secretary
Wait a minute, Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC World Forum Moderator) quoted Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC Secretary) as his justification for closing the thread.
Can he do that?
Well, I guess so.
Vince Pinto apparently not only owns the OFFICIAL IPSC World Forum, but also owns IPSC. It's his Forum, it's his International Practical Shooting Confederation, and it's his Big Dick. He can do anything he wants.
Three words immediately occur:
- Arbitrary
- Unilateral
- Autocratic
Even Vinny can't find a rule which will support his position, but still he seems comfortable with Rule by Fiat.
Dare we mention that he can't even agree with himself?
Vinny, my dear friend ... it isn't easy being you, is it?
__________________________________
Note: I offer my most abject apologies for not having noticed this situation earlier. I'm not doing my job. Fact is, I have avoided The Official IPSC World Forum for YEARS, because it is the love child of ... Vince Pinto.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Evil Oregon Star 0 - Presenting the Evil Oregon Star
The Evil Oregon Star is a new event on the horizon of Practical Pistol Competition in the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), so you may have some questions about it.
This short video (also available as a 6mb download from Jerry The Geek's Video Shooting Gallery) may be a first step in understanding what's so Evil about this Star.
The first segment depicts the Match Walkthrough in the April 28, 2007, match at Dundee Oregon where it is first presented as a 'fun stage' in Dundee's annual Classifier match. Note the "Quote of the Day":
The second (short) segment shows the response when it is first presented to the squads.
The third segment shows how to reset the target array, in its present configuration.
Note that this video is not only available through You Tube, but is also available in its full (6mb) WMV format at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Other links to this target are:
Evil Oregon Star 1: Geek's Bane
Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
Evil Bill's Oregon Star
.
This short video (also available as a 6mb download from Jerry The Geek's Video Shooting Gallery) may be a first step in understanding what's so Evil about this Star.
The first segment depicts the Match Walkthrough in the April 28, 2007, match at Dundee Oregon where it is first presented as a 'fun stage' in Dundee's annual Classifier match. Note the "Quote of the Day":
"Is this because too many new shooters are staying with the sport?"
The second (short) segment shows the response when it is first presented to the squads.
The third segment shows how to reset the target array, in its present configuration.
Note that this video is not only available through You Tube, but is also available in its full (6mb) WMV format at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Other links to this target are:
Evil Oregon Star 1: Geek's Bane
Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
Evil Bill's Oregon Star
.
Evil Oregon Star 1: Geek's Bane
An earlier article (Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie) showed how ten competitors handled the Evil Oregon Star, creative brain child of Evil Bill.
The video below shows the entire stage. The purpose is to provide a context in which the Evil Star is only one element.
The competitor is Jerry the Geek, who hasnt' hit the plate on the first shot in six out of the last ten stages in which it was presented. Still, it's a short video.
This video is also available as a 6mb download from Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery, as are all videos and phots from this match and ANY video or picture displayed here.
Other articles in this series are:
Evil Oregon Star 0 (Presenting The Evil Oregon Star)
Evil Oregon Star 2 (The Movie)
Evil Bill's Oregon Star
(Note: links available at the last location will provide a deeper exploration of the Genesis of the Evil Oregon Star)
The video below shows the entire stage. The purpose is to provide a context in which the Evil Star is only one element.
The competitor is Jerry the Geek, who hasnt' hit the plate on the first shot in six out of the last ten stages in which it was presented. Still, it's a short video.
This video is also available as a 6mb download from Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery, as are all videos and phots from this match and ANY video or picture displayed here.
Other articles in this series are:
Evil Oregon Star 0 (Presenting The Evil Oregon Star)
Evil Oregon Star 2 (The Movie)
Evil Bill's Oregon Star
(Note: links available at the last location will provide a deeper exploration of the Genesis of the Evil Oregon Star)
Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
It has been four days since I posted the 'breadboard' video of Evil Bill's Texas Star ... arbitrarily designated (by me) the "Evil Oregon Star". As anticipated, Evil Bill set it up as a 'fun stage' during the Dundee Annual Classifier match, we shot it, and we were indeed intimidated.
In truth, there are no significant differences between the Evil Oregon Star and the Texas Star, except that the Evil Star provides serious penalties for missing the plates.
Those of you who say the original post have already postulated the problems inherent in the design, and you have been proved right in many of your cautionary notes.
The lessons provided by the experience have been carefully noted, and the designer ("Evil Bill") was kind enough to stop by during the match and discuss them with me.
Early in the match ... while the second squad was shooting that stage, Bill mentioned:
"Yes, we're getting a lot of splatter from both the angle-iron on the part of the arm that holds the plate, and it's tearing up the paper targets in the background. We're also seeing a lot of hits on the two rods (leading from the axle to the plate) and that also tears up the cardboard IPSC targets. So far, we haven't had any problems with the plates hitting the cardboard. They're dropping clean to the ground. As for the weight (the blue-painted cylinder that initiates the movement), I never thought it would be a problem and it isn't."
By the time we got to that stage ... we were the fourth squad to shoot it, Bill's evaluation had changed significantly. Note that there were about 70 shooters distributed into six squads in this Club Match, so he had a lot of information from which to draw his conclusions. The product of this testing is an entire new design, which Bill was able to evolve while he was watching other people shoot the stage.
Bill said he will re-engineer the target so he has the new (version 2.0) design ready for the May match. If he says so, it will happen.
He also said that if anyone wants to build a similar target, they can "EM" (E-Mail) him and he will send them the parts list.
He said that before he realized that it required an extensive re-design, so if you are inclined to build your own Evil Oregon Star, you may email him but don't be surprised if it takes him a while to evolve an updated parts list. This is a project in development, and sometimes it takes a lot of field testing before the best design is available. (Bill didn't say that; I said that.)
I plan to provide three articles based on the Evil Oregon Star.
Evil 00: Presenting The Evil Oregon Star
This features a video of the Match Walk-through, including comments from the competitors (note especially the "Quote Of The Day". Also, there is a short vignette when the squad I was in walked through the stage, and a third part where the squad is taping targets, replacing plates and setting up the initiating mechanism on the star.
Evil 01: Geeks Bane - The Evil Oregon Star Stage
This is a short video showing the entire stage in which the Evil Oregon Star is only another target array. It provides a perspective for those who wonder how important the Star might be compared to the other targets. In the actual event, you may decide that this is not the part of the stage which slows the shooter down.
Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
That would be THIS article. I've included a (YouTube) video which suggests that some people can get past this stage without many more problems than would be presented with just a Texas Star. Others may find that the Evil Oregon Star is ... I hesitate to say "more intimidating", but at least "more confusing" than the Texas Star.
Now that you've read the preamble, here's how ten competitors fared on The Evil Oregon Star.
Note that this video is also available as a 15mb download from Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery. The other videos presented in part 1 and part 2 are also available there.
These videos, and accompanying still photos, may not be available for a couple of days due to the delay in editing and publishing them.
.
In truth, there are no significant differences between the Evil Oregon Star and the Texas Star, except that the Evil Star provides serious penalties for missing the plates.
Those of you who say the original post have already postulated the problems inherent in the design, and you have been proved right in many of your cautionary notes.
The lessons provided by the experience have been carefully noted, and the designer ("Evil Bill") was kind enough to stop by during the match and discuss them with me.
Early in the match ... while the second squad was shooting that stage, Bill mentioned:
"Yes, we're getting a lot of splatter from both the angle-iron on the part of the arm that holds the plate, and it's tearing up the paper targets in the background. We're also seeing a lot of hits on the two rods (leading from the axle to the plate) and that also tears up the cardboard IPSC targets. So far, we haven't had any problems with the plates hitting the cardboard. They're dropping clean to the ground. As for the weight (the blue-painted cylinder that initiates the movement), I never thought it would be a problem and it isn't."
By the time we got to that stage ... we were the fourth squad to shoot it, Bill's evaluation had changed significantly. Note that there were about 70 shooters distributed into six squads in this Club Match, so he had a lot of information from which to draw his conclusions. The product of this testing is an entire new design, which Bill was able to evolve while he was watching other people shoot the stage.
"There are two big problems with this target. First, we're getting way too much splatter from the rounds which hit the supporting arms. I'm going to take off the angle-iron and replace it with a mild steel plate. This should cause the bullets to bounce off instead of splattering the target. In fact, I'm going to weld this plate the length of the supporting arms so the bullets don't hit the rods, either. Most misses which hit the support arms should not hit the targets behind them."
"Second, I was wrong about the way the plates drop. I solid center-hit from a major-power bullet can push the plates back so they hit the targets behind them. This is tearing up the cardboard. I'm going to move the (windmill array, which supports the cardboard targets) back another foot. This will keep the plates from hitting them, and may reduce the effect of 'splatter', too."
Bill said he will re-engineer the target so he has the new (version 2.0) design ready for the May match. If he says so, it will happen.
He also said that if anyone wants to build a similar target, they can "EM" (E-Mail) him and he will send them the parts list.
(You can email him here: billmarrs at verizon dot net ... replace the "at" with "@" and the "dot" with ".")
You can also reach Evil Bill by sending an email to me, at the address shown at the bottom of this page, and I will forward your mail to him. But I really hope you contact him directly!
He said that before he realized that it required an extensive re-design, so if you are inclined to build your own Evil Oregon Star, you may email him but don't be surprised if it takes him a while to evolve an updated parts list. This is a project in development, and sometimes it takes a lot of field testing before the best design is available. (Bill didn't say that; I said that.)
I plan to provide three articles based on the Evil Oregon Star.
Evil 00: Presenting The Evil Oregon Star
This features a video of the Match Walk-through, including comments from the competitors (note especially the "Quote Of The Day". Also, there is a short vignette when the squad I was in walked through the stage, and a third part where the squad is taping targets, replacing plates and setting up the initiating mechanism on the star.
Evil 01: Geeks Bane - The Evil Oregon Star Stage
This is a short video showing the entire stage in which the Evil Oregon Star is only another target array. It provides a perspective for those who wonder how important the Star might be compared to the other targets. In the actual event, you may decide that this is not the part of the stage which slows the shooter down.
Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
That would be THIS article. I've included a (YouTube) video which suggests that some people can get past this stage without many more problems than would be presented with just a Texas Star. Others may find that the Evil Oregon Star is ... I hesitate to say "more intimidating", but at least "more confusing" than the Texas Star.
Now that you've read the preamble, here's how ten competitors fared on The Evil Oregon Star.
Note that this video is also available as a 15mb download from Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery. The other videos presented in part 1 and part 2 are also available there.
These videos, and accompanying still photos, may not be available for a couple of days due to the delay in editing and publishing them.
.
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